Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO reportedly under FBI investigation for alleged sexual crimes

Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, is reportedly under FBI criminal investigation over accusations that he sexually exploited young male models at events he masterminded around the world.

Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith are also facing a civil lawsuit alleging that they oversaw a sex-trafficking operation, according to an investigation from the BBC.

The investigation is being led by both federal prosecutors from the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York as well as FBI Agents specializing in alleged sex crimes who are interviewing and issuing subpoenas for potential witnesses, according to the BBC.

News of the criminal investigation comes months after the BBC published an in-depth investigation accusing both Jeffries and Smith of hosting elaborate events around the world as a means to sexually exploit and abuse young men.

Published in October 2023, at least eight men came forward and told the publication of their experiences, which have been described as acts equivalent to sex trafficking. The men went on to allege that Jeffries and Smith would ask them to engage in sexual activities with them or each other under the premise of gaining employment at Abercrombie & Fitch.

The BBC investigation included verified documents such as emails, event itineraries, and flight tickets, which revealed a network of recruiters involved in the operation as well as a middleman, James Jacobson.

Jacobson is said to have recruited young men to attend what they believed to be networking events in New York, London, Paris, Venice, and Marrakesh, only to be coerced into sexually engaging with Jeffries and Smith. Following the events, which were allegedly witnessed by staff and security, the men would be given envelopes with thousands of dollars.

When BBC initially published its investigation, Abercrombie & Fitch said in a statement that the company was "appalled and disgusted" by the alleged behavior of its former CEO and that it had launched an independent investigation. Abercrombie & Fitch has since suspended a substantial part of Jeffries' retirement payments, close to one million USD a year.

Jeffries was formerly credited with leading the transformation of Abercrombie & Fitch from a struggling apparel retailer to a globally recognized multi-billion dollar retail powerhouse during its peak years between the 1990s and early 200s. This turnaround was largely attributed to his use of bold marketing tactics, notably the employment of semi-nude models in advertising campaigns, both in print catalogs and physically outside store locations, which caused notable controversy at the time.